846 Naval Air Squadron
846 Naval Air Squadron, sometimes referred to as 846 Squadron, is a Fleet Air Arm naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. The squadron represents one of the two primary AgustaWestland Merlin HC4 Squadrons that constitute the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force, having operated this variant since 2019.
The squadron was active in the later years of the Second World War, utilising the Grumman Avenger. During the early sixties, it flew the Westland Whirlwind, providing support for Royal Marines deployments abroad. It transitioned to the Westland Wessex using these between 1968 and 1981. Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter to provide troop transport and load lifting support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, notably during the Falklands conflict, the Gulf War, operations in the Adriatic and former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, 846 NAS stood down in the summer of 2013 and its personnel, buildings and equipment were amalgamated into 845 Naval Air Squadron.
The squadron stood up on 30 September 2014 with the AgustaWestland Merlin HC3 and it now holds the Operational Conversion Flight and Maritime Counter Terrorism Role.
History
Second World War
846 Naval Air Squadron was established in April 1943 at RNAS Quonset Point located at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, United States which had been loaned to the Admiralty from October 1942. It was equipped with twelve Grumman Avenger I, an American torpedo bomber aircraft. The squadron moved to RN Air Section Norfolk the following month, located at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, where lodger facilities for FAA squadrons and an Air Section were granted to the Admiralty.Two months later the unit embarked on the when on 2 July, the twelve Grumman Avengers of 846 Squadron embarked to provide convoy protection during the carrier's inaugural Atlantic crossing. The vessel joined the UK-bound convoy HX.248 and on 27 July, 846 Squadron departed the carrier to the UK.
Before being assigned to sister ship in January 1944, four Grumman Wildcat Mk V fighter aircraft from 1832 Squadron were added to 846 Squadron. HMS Tracker was first assigned to convoys going to Gibraltar, then to Murmansk. On the latter voyage, aircraft from 846 attacked eight German U-boats, leading to the sinking of the Kriegsmarine submarines U-355 and U-288.
File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A24529.jpg|thumb|left|A Grumman Wildcat of 846 Squadron displaying invasion stripes
HMS Tracker was damaged in June 1944 in a collision with the Royal Canadian Navy's frigate HMCS Teme while forming part of the naval screen for the D-Day landings, and the squadron disembarked to RAF Limavady airfield, Northern Ireland, joining 15 Group, RAF Coastal Command. A month later 846 NAS was assigned to, mainly laying mines off Norway until September 1944.
In December a detachment of five Grumman Avengers was formed and transferred to the for a few days. The remainder of 846 NAS operated from HMS Trumpeter or RNAS Hatston in Orkney up to May 1945. On 4 May 1945, twelve Avenger and four Wildcat aircraft of the squadron took part in Operation Judgement, the last air-raid of the war in Europe. The fighter flight was disbanded after the end of hostilities in Europe.
846 NAS was then assigned to the 4th Carrier Air Group and should have deployed to the Far East aboard the fleet carrier. However, a change of plans led to the squadron becoming a trials unit. It was renumbered 751 NAS and was disbanded at RNAS Machrihanish, Argyll and Bute, in September 1945.
Borneo
846 NAS was reformed in 1962 as a Commando squadron equipped with the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7. It was deployed to Borneo aboard the commando carrier and flew in support of actions against guerrillas during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. British Army units gave 846 NAS the nickname 'Junglies' in Borneo, which the squadron has kept until today.Wessex (1968-1981)
The Westland Wessex HU.5 was developed to fulfil the operational needs of the Royal Marine Commandos, providing a helicopter capable of transporting twelve or more fully-armed combat personnel into action from the deck of an aircraft carrier or commando carrier to commence an assault on an enemy beachhead. Additionally, the Wessex HU.5 possessed the ability to target ground installations using wire-guided air-to-surface missiles or to function as a 'gunship'. Artillery, Land Rovers, or large quantities of fuel and ammunition could similarly be suspended beneath the aircraft and dropped from a hovering position.In July 1968, 846 was reformed at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, as the Commando headquarters and trials squadron, equipped with four Wessex HU.5 helicopters. During the Gibraltar discussions regarding the future of Rhodesia, it embarked on the name ship of her class the dock-landing ship in October. Subsequently, in February 1969, the squadron travelled to Norway aboard the helicopter support ship for cold weather trials, with similar detachments dispatched in the following two winters. In February 1972, four aircraft were stationed on the light aircraft carrier converted into a commando carrier amid the British withdrawal from Malta, and in May, 846 relocated to RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset. The squadron assumed responsibility for the three aircraft in the ammunition, explosives and stores supply ship, the armament stores ship and the , transferring the remaining Flights, personnel, and duties to 707 Squadron when 846 disbanded at RNAS Yeovilton in December 1975.
In April 1976, 846 Squadron was reformed at RNAS Yeovilton from the remnants of a disbanded 848 Squadron, establishing itself as a Commando squadron equipped with eight Wessex HU.5 helicopters. Throughout the year, various detachments occurred, including the deployment of four helicopters to the Mediterranean aboard HMS Fearless in October. Early in 1977, helicopters were sent to northern Norway for exercises, with the squadron being embarked on two vessels, and, before joining the Centaur-class light fleet carrier in June for two exercises. The squadron ceased to function as an independent entity in September 1977 when it was merged with 845 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton.
In October 1978, 846 was reformed at RNAS Yeovilton as a Commando squadron, equipped with twelve Wessex HU.5 helicopters. In January 1979, it was assigned to HMS Hermes; however, the subsequent month saw the first of several detachments being deployed aboard HMS Bulwark. The squadron ultimately re-joined HMS Hermes in June, but was soon re-assigned to HMS Bulwark, where it commenced a gradual transition to Sea King HC.4 helicopters in December. In April 1980, the entire squadron embarked on HMS Bulwark for a training exercise, and in September, a portion of the squadron travelled to northern Norway for another exercise, followed by a visit to Hamburg. Additional visits to northern Norway occurred in early 1981, and to Denmark in September, with the final Wessex HU.5 departing in October.
Sea King (1979-2013)
Beginning in November 1979, a new iteration of the Westland Sea King, designated the HC.4, was introduced into service with the Fleet Air Arm. Configured as a troop transport and logistical support aircraft, the Sea King HC.4 conducted its inaugural flight at RNAS Yeovilton on 26 September 1979. Primarily designed to replace the Wessex HU.5 as the principal lift helicopter for the Royal Marines, the Sea King H.C.4 had a lifting capacity of 8,000 lb, significantly surpassing the 2,700 lb capacity of its predecessor. The Sea King H.C.4 was designed to accommodate twenty-seven fully equipped Royal Marine commandos or other personnel and was capable of operating in both arctic and tropical environments.Falklands War (1982)
In April 1982, 846 NAS embarked aboard the carrier as part of the Royal Navy task force in the Falklands War. During the war 846 NAS Sea King's flew over 2800 hours, completed 10,000 individual troop moves and transported more than 81,600 t of freight. Throughout a significant campaign, the squadron provided support to ground troops and participated in various covert operations, which included the deployment of forty-five Special Forces personnel on Pebble Island on 14 May. There, they successfully destroyed or severely damaged eleven Argentine aircraft, while one helicopter undertook a one-way mission that concluded in Chile. During the campaign, thirteen Sea King H.C.4s from 846 Squadron played a crucial role during the landings at San Carlos and conducted night operations alongside the Special Boat Service and the Special Air Service.In 1983, detachments were deployed aboard the carriers HMS Hermes and. Between November 1983 and March 1984, a detachment of three Sea Kings was deployed aboard HMS Fearless and to the coast of Lebanon supporting British troops involved in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War and took part in the eventual withdrawal of British troops and the evacuation of civilians from Beirut, airlifting 521 civilians on 10 March 1994. The squadron was awarded the Boyd Trophy for these operations.